Game apparatus



Dec; 26, 1939. B RADTKE 2,184,866

GAME APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1957 27 v Ill Y g a;

IN VEN TOR. flrwlzofiadtke ZMZ/ 15 /5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,184,866 GAME APPARATUS Bruno Radtke, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Exhibit Supply Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,369

1 Claim.

The invention relates to amusement and game apparatus, and more particularly to a game of the pin-ball or bagatelle type in which are provided novel ball projecting and control means.

Among its several important objects, the invention includes the provision of a ball-playing board or field in the form of an electro-conductive plate on which are mounted one or more contact elements in the form of buifers or hazards, which, when contacted by a conductive ball or projectile projected onto the field in the use of the game, effect the closing of a control circuit or scoreindicator.

A further object contemplates the provision of.

a ball reprojector on said conductive field or board and engaged by a conductive ball to efiect a reprojection of the ball in a peculiar manner hereinafter to be explained.

Yet another object is the provision of a reprojector of the type just characterized, and which is further provided with a resilient band-like bumper from which a ball may be. rebounded, aside from the automatic action of the reprojector.

Still another object is the combination with a reprojector and playboard of the type characterized, of a resilient buffer arranged oppositely to the resilient reprojector, and which, because of the conductive field and ball, may cause the ball to bound repeatedly back and forth between the reprojector and the bufier.

Other novel aspects of construction and operation will appear as the following description proceeds in View of the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a game embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary section taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. l, and includes a circuit diagram.

As seen in Fig. 1, the game includes any form of cabinet or housing 10 having a horizontal, and

preferably inclined, playing board or panel 1 l seated within the housing below a glass top plate 13 (Fig. 2).

Arcuate end blocks 14 and I5 define, with side wall portions of the cabinet, a confined ball playing area or field, and at the lower end of the same there is provided an elongated ball exit opening 16 through which played balls may eventually pass after the play is completed.

Elevating means ll, of any conventional type, is provided for raising balls into position before a projecting plunger or device 18, the latter being manipulated by the player to propel a ball 19 along an alley 20 and onto the main field.

The ball (or balls) 19 are preferably electroconductive and of metal, and the surface of the main playing field is also electro-conductive by reason of the provision of a metalplate 21 as a bottom or rolling surface for the balls.

variously arranged over thefield 21 are hazards in the form of buffers 24, comprising, in the present embodiment, vertical pins or studs 22 surrounded by a coil spring 23 having its lower free 1 end portion unattached. Thus it will appear that the spring may yield when struck by a ball, and will alter the direction of movement of any ball striking the same. This lends interest to the game and causes the ball to follow a devious path on the playfield.

Arranged in about the center of the field is a special contact biunper preferably formed of a conductive and springy band 25 (Fig. 1) curved with its convex side facing the lower (left) end of the board. The band 25 is mounted at its opposite ends on spaced conductive studs or pins 26, suitably provided with insulating sleeves 21 through which the same extend for attachment below the plate 21 and board 11.

It will be observed that the free-end junctures 26 of the bufier are preferably coiled so as to add to the resiliency of the band. One of the bufier mounting pins 26 is connected at its lower end to a conductor 21, while the metal plate 21 is connected at 28 to a conductor 29 which in turn contacts one side of a battery 30. Conductor 27 connects through a lead 31 to one side of a relay magnet 32, the other side 33 of which is in circuit with battery 30. When a metal ball 34 (Fig. 2) strikes the conductive buffer band 25, a circuit is closed through battery conductors 21 and 29, battery 3D and relay 32, actuating the latter.

The relay switch 35 is connected in any desired control circuit 36 including an indicator or score counter 31 shown schematically in Fig. 2, and mounted in an upright chamber 38 above the play field 21 at the upper end of the latter. The score indicator, or other signal means 3'1 is preferably in view behind a glass panel 39. Thus, each time a ball 34 strikes the butter 25, the control device 4 bracket 45 which mounts the electro-magnet on the underside of the top wall or panel I I.

Armature 43 protrudes through a hole 46 a short distance above the metal play board 2| at a point spaced in a descending direction from the bufier 25. Attached to the upper or protruding end of armature 43 is a somewhat elliptically shaped resilient and conductive buffer band 4-! which is secured at its ends by means 48 to the armature so as to dispose the band laterally from the same and in a plane relatively parallel to that of the play field 2|.

When a ball on the metal field 2| strikes the reprojecto-r buffer, a circuit is closed from one side of battery 3|] via conductor 29, plate 2|, the

ball (like 34) the band 41, armature 43, conductor 42, the winding 40, and conductor 4| back to battery. The armature 43 will pull up and the ball that eifected this energization of electromagnet 40 will be reprojected back onto the field, frequently toward the opposite mechanical bufier 25.

Since the reprojector bufier ll, apart from any action of the armature 43, is resilient, a ball striking the same will be deflected or rebounded in a direction depending largely on the point of contact on the elliptical arc of the band, and upon the direction and force of movement of the impinging ball. Apparently, a great variety of possibilities exist, and because of the peculiar shape and arrangement of the buffer bands, very interesting and curious behavior of the ball results.

When, in addition to the inherent reaction of the band 41 to impact by a ball, the reprojector armature is actuated, the rebound forces which act upon the ball become more complex and its behavior will become still more curious.

By variously dimensioning and placing the several band buffer structures with respect to one another, novel effects are produced which make the playing of the game fascinating. In the particular arrangement shown, the buffers 25 and 4'! are opposite each other, and it frequently happens that a projected ball will rebound back and forth repeatedly between the same, and the ball will be batted back and forth until it finally escapes or misses one of the bands.

Flanking the reprojector band 47 are resilient rebound rails or springs 59, which further tend to prolong'and vary the reprojection of the ball.

It will be recalled that each time the buffer 25 is struck, the relay or control 32 is actuated. Likewise, each time the reprojector 40 -43 is actuated the control relay 32 is operated, and this is accomplished by turning down a portion of metal panel 2| into the hole 46 to provide an ear 5|, preferably provided with an efiicient contact point. Mounted by insulation blocks 52 on armature 43 is a spring contact 53 connected to conductor 21 and engageable with the contact portion of ear 5|, so that each time the armature pulls up (against its normal spring 49) the contact spring 53 contacting ear 5| on plate 2| will close a circuit through conductor 21 and relay winding 32, energizing the latter and operating the controlled instrumentality 31.

The game may be coin-controlled if desired, and as mentioned before, the electrical and mechanical rebound devices are subject to a great variety of combinations and arrangements, and while novelty is claimed for the specific arrangement shown, the novelty also embraces the specific construction and the broad functional peculiarities of the reprojector and bufier band structure itself. In addition, novelty is claimed for the metal playboard and combination of reprojecting and rebound controls cooperable therewith.

The appended claim is intended' to embrace all of the features and all equivalent constructions and arrangements fairly coming within its call.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A game apparatus having a conductive ball playing field and means for projecting a conductive ball thereon, an electrically driven reprojector having a conductive and resilient rebound member positioned for engagement by said ball, a power circuit for said electrical reprojector and including said rebound member and said conductive field, said circuit being closed by engagement of said conductive ball on the conductive field with said conductive rebound member to actuate the latter, together with a second and stationary rebound member of resilient construction and positioned on said field opposite said reprojector whereby a ball may be repeatedly thrown back and forth between said several rebound members upon coming into engagement with said reprojector rebound member.

BRUNO RADTKE. 

